We’ve teamed up with the retail specialists at Ashfords to help you identify and navigate the key developments and issues facing the sector. Here we meet the team who’ll be keeping you briefed for the year ahead.
About our retail team
About our retail teamOur retail team is absorbed in the sector and has specific knowledge key to retailers. From employee issues to lease renewals, IP protection to supply agreements, we have well-informed and industry-aware lawyers to support retailers and their in-house teams.
Our legal advisers benefit from specific sector knowledge to help reduce risks, nurture growth and support you in developing strategies for success. We have retail clients that represent over 2,000 outlets and £300+ billion in turnover.
Our retail clients
- Penhaligon’s
- HelloFresh
- Post Office
- Aspinals
- Ginsters
- Subway
- Majestic Wine
- L’Artisan Parfumeur
- JW Anderson
- The Range
- Charlotte Tilbury
About Ashfords LLP
Ashfords is a national provider of legal, regulatory and professional services.
We are as ambitious as our clients and thrive on being a part of their success. Our clear direction and strong leadership ensures they always receive the service they deserve and expect.
Our sector specialists deliver insightful and commercial solutions tailored to our clients industries. We have a clear understanding of our markets with significant experience and depth of knowledge in the retail sector, as well as real estate, energy and technology. Our in-house clients tell us that we genuinely understand their challenges and their sectors – and our focus is on finding solutions and getting the results our clients want.
We have a far reaching international presence with extensive experience of working with overseas clients. As a leading member of the ADVOC network of independent law firms, Ashfords can co-ordinate the delivery of legal advice from over 100 jurisdictions worldwide.
Our retail clients
Meet the team
Louise Workman
Corporate partner and head of retail
E-mail: l.workman@ashfords.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)7894 404015
Louise is a partner in the corporate team and leads our retail sector, co-ordinating all retail initiatives and client targeting. Louise was
head of retail at Berwin Leighton Paisner until she joined Ashfords
in 2010.
She has vast experience in the retail sector, having advised the likes of the owner of LK Bennett, the owners of Fat Face, Timothy Everest and Penhaligon’s with their strategic legal issues. Louise recently won HelloFresh as a client for Ashfords as their exclusive English law provider. She has significant corporate experience in group structures, both local and cross border, and has advised on major strategic issues such as global joint ventures as well as fundraisings and M&A plans.
Louise has recently advised Swallowfield plc on its acquisition of 15 brands and advised KandyToys on their MBO.
Chris Dyson
Corporate partner and head of technology
E-mail: c.dyson@ashfords.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)7515 099340
Chris is head of the technology sector at Ashfords and is renowned for his work in investments and acquisitions. Chris worked with Louise Workman to create Ashfords’ Technology in Retail report and advises tech-focused retailers and e-commerce businesses.
Chris advises a large number of leading investment funds and growth businesses and has worked on high profile company exits to the likes of Apple and eBay.
David Pomeroy
Head of restructuring and insolvency
E-mail: d.pomeroy@ashfords.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)7970 027661
David is a partner and head of the restructuring and insolvency team. David advises on contentious and non-contentious corporate and personal insolvency. He is most frequently found working alongside insolvency practitioners or the management team of a struggling retail business.
David’s retail experience includes advising Quba Sails on their restructuring.
Annabel Holyoak
Real estate partner
E-mail: a.holyoak@ashfords.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)7980 927382
Annabel is a partner in the real estate team specialising in retail property and general landlord and tenant advice for retail clients.
Annabel’s recent experience includes advising Majestic Wine Warehouses and Penhaligon’s on their entire property portfolios
and Charlotte Tilbury Beauty on its acquisition of two UK
standalone stores in Covent Garden and Westfield. Annabel
also advises HelloFresh.
Carl Steele
Intellectual property partner and head of trade marks
E-mail: c.steele@ashfords.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)7841 663727
Carl is a partner and head of trade marks. He is dual qualified, being both a solicitor and a chartered trade mark attorney. Carl advises retail clients on intellectual property matters, including copyright, designs, database, patent and trade mark law and the law relating to passing off and confidential information. He deals with both contentious and non-contentious matters. Carl’s manages the worldwide trade mark portfolios for retail clients such as Penhaligon’s, JW Anderson, Timothy Everest and The Brand Architekts.
Andrew Worley
Real estate partner
E-mail: a.worley@ashfords.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)7590 961285
Andrew is a partner in the real estate team, specialising in leases of retail property and franchise work with a retail element.
Andrew has been advising Subway for over 13 years in respect of site acquisitions throughout England and Wales and across the full spectrum of retail locations. To date Andrew has handled over 600 new Subway locations. Andrew also advises the Loungers/Cosy Club group of Pub/Restaurants as it continues its expansion throughout the UK.
Rob Nicholson
Property litigation partner
E-mail: r.nicholson@ashfords.co.uk
Tel: +44(0)7736 277195
Rob is a partner in the property litigation team. Rob regularly acts on high-value real estate disputes, especially dilapidations, partnership disputes and injunction claims. Rob is known for his skilful handling of the disputes he is involved in and has a proven track record acting for retail clients.
Rob’s recent retail experience includes advising for The Range in relation to a multi-million pound dispute with the landlord of large warehouse premises in the North West.
Su Apps
Employment legal director
s.apps@ashfords.co.uk
+44(0)7872 126770
Su is a legal director in the employment team, advising on both contentious and non-contentious matters for employers across the retail sector. Su supports retail clients through complex internal HR issues, business sales and acquisitions and restructures and the defence of employment tribunal claims.
Su is the sole employment law adviser to HelloFresh, and she also advises Aquazzura and The Range.
Chris Coughlan
Head of Data Protection and Privacy
E-mail: c.coughlan@ashfords.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)7885 969966
Chris is a senior associate in the commercial team and head
of data protection and privacy. Chris specialises in data
protection and privacy, regularly advising clients on national
and international data protection matters. Chris advises retail
clients on commercial and technology matters including the full spectrum of data protection.
Chris’ key retail clients include McDonald’s and HelloFresh.